Yeddyurappa calls CBI raids `painful`

Bangalore: Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday called the CBI raids at his residences a painful day in his political life.

"Today (Wednesday) is one of the most painful days in my long political life, as CBI officials conducted raids on my houses in Bangalore and Shimoga for some documents," the 69-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader told reporters here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing corruption charges against Yeddyurappa and his family.

Emerging after the CBI team left with several documents, Yeddyurappa said he was confident that he would come clean from the inquiry since he had full faith in the judiciary.

"I`m going to extend full cooperation to the CBI. I hope the truth will prevail. I`m confident I will come clean," he said.

Asserting that he had full faith in the CBI, he said he would prove his innocence and return soon to resume his political life.

"The CBI team is free to take any document and ask me any question. I have nothing to hide. I have given them all the documents they sought and replied to all questions they asked," he said.

Referring to the simultaneous CBI raids on the residences and offices of his family members, including sons BS Vijayendra and BS Raghavendra and son-in-law Sohan Kumar, Yeddyurappa said he was confident of facing the inquiry like another trial by fire.

"I appeal to the people of the state to have faith in me and my family," he said.

In a pre-dawn swoop, CBI teams raided nine places in the city, Yeddyurappa`s hometown Shimoga and Bellary, about 300 km from here, after registering a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
This followed a Supreme Court order in connection with the multi-crore mining scam in the state.
IANS